Life's mad with the Hatters: Relegations, financial meltdown and shame... but Luton are back

Eric Morecambe was once a director, and after him came even more comedians, but today a proud club with a rich heritage are out to prove that their revival is serious. Luton Town go to Norwich in the FA Cup fourth round with 84 places separating two teams who last met in the Championship less than six years ago.

The Hatters have always been skittish. With 10 relegations and six promotions in 50 years following their FA Cup final appearance in 1959, they lay claim to being football’s original yoyo club.

That is, until the string was snipped in 2009. Down they plunged into the Conference under a 30-point FA penalty which still rankles four years on.

Celebration time: Luton players celebrate their win over Wolves in the third round

But ask a seasoned Luton fan to define their club and they tend to tell you what it never is. It’s never boring, they say.

Plastic pitches, funnyman Morecambe, relentless up and downs, three times in and out of administration, a rickety, much-loved home, David Pleat’s jig of joy and this year they are giant-killing. Norwich, beware.

‘There were times when I thought the club would go out of existence,’ said chairman Nick Owen. ‘But if you’re doing well you enjoy it, whatever the division.

‘After the FA Cup final in 1959, we slid from the First to the Fourth and then set off on the great return. Winning Division Four in 1968 was fantastic. We played such exhilarating football with a young Bruce Rioch rampant in midfield.

Glory days: Luton fans in their numbers at the 1959 FA Cup final, which they lost to Nottingham Forest

‘We were promoted again with Malcolm Macdonald up front after he had been converted from left back by Alec Stock. We went up to the First Division and lasted a year, went down and nearly went bust.’

Luton exist on the edge. The most recent rescue mission was the work of the 2020 consortium, a group of wealthy fans who have restored some dignity and installed lifelong supporter and TV presenter Owen as chairman and figurehead.

‘Luton Town are a part of who I am,’ said Owen. ‘I hope it’s not the only thing that defines me but it’s been one of them, since my father took me to my first game.

‘Nothing compares to walking through the gate at Kenilworth Road. That little ground rocks, as it did against Wolves in the last round.

Famous chairman: Comedian Eric Morecambe used to be in charge of the Hatters and TV presenter Nick Owen is the current man at the top

‘Once I’d been covering Barcelona against Aston Villa in the Nou Camp in the Seventies and great as that was I remember saying to myself as I walked into Luton the following Saturday how wonderful it was to be at Kenilworth Road.’

Whisper it, but at the moment the Hatters are financially sound, with the biggest fan-base in the Conference and funds to pay £50,000 to York City for midfielder Jonathan Smith this month. Money from the FA Cup has helped, although they were unhappy with Norwich’s cut-price tickets and have been snubbed by live TV — despite the fact ESPN presenter Rebecca Lowe lives with Luton manager Paul Buckle.

Extra cash is useful to a non-League club in a cold snap when the steady trickle of gate receipts freezes. Tuesday’s game at home to Lincoln was called off and Buckle accepted an offer from Norwich’s rivals Ipswich to prepare on their indoor pitch for today’s tie.

They will take a replay, as in the FA Cup semi-final in 1959, when a top-flight Luton beat Norwich, then Third Division upstarts who had knocked out Manchester United and Tottenham. ‘It was such a relief to get through,’ said Ron Baynham, Luton’s FA Cup final goalkeeper. ‘It was tense and stressful because you’re nearly there but if you lose everything is gone.’

NO BOSS FOR FINAL

Here's an idea from FA Cup history which may solve a problem for Roman Abramovich. When Luton Town made it to the final in 1959, they did it without a manager.

Dally Duncan had been poached by Blackburn in October 1958 and the board proceeded with a committee consisting of directors, captain Syd Owen and trainer Frank King.

Owen was appointed manager the day before the final but they kept it quiet until after the match. At Wembley they were led out by their former player Tom Hodgson. Nottingham Forest won the final 2-1.

Baynham can recall how, on the eve of the final against Nottingham Forest, Luton fans were still banging on the doors of the players’ homes in Kenilworth Road at midnight, waking them in search of tickets.

For those who don’t go back that far, there is the golden era launched by Pleat. It is nearly 30 years since his dancing feet dazzled Maine Road, perhaps the most vivid image of Luton in football’s televised era.

‘I wince when I see it,’ said Pleat. ‘It doesn’t tell the story of the previous three years and what we did. We just missed promotion, then we won what is now the Championship by a mile and it all came to a conclusion at Manchester City.

‘All the lunacy of the jig is what people remember. It was incredible, Luton in three semi-finals, two finals, a League Cup win at Wembley.’

Luton survived in Division One for a decade, relegated as the Premier League began in 1992. Good times have been scarce since then. There was brief upward mobility under Mike Newell and the big drop, financial meltdown, controversy about illegal payments to agents and a 30-point deduction.

Dark days: Former Luton manager Mick Harford sees his side relegated from the Football League in 2009

As they slid out of the Football League after 89 years they won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Wembley.

‘They didn’t grasp the nettle when they had the chance,’ said Pleat. ‘They could have taken Luton to Milton Keynes, 15 miles down the road. It would have saved everyone the Wimbledon hoo-hah and they could be playing in that beautiful stadium.

‘It might have shaved their identity slightly. I know it’s their home and tradition but there was no future at Kenilworth Road. The directors sold the crown jewels when they sold the stadium to the council and it means any player who emerges has to be sold.

There are some people on the pitch: David Pleat runs on the pitch after Luton avoid relegation in 1983

‘They have been mismanaged. To be in administration three times in 10 years is disgraceful and that’s why sadly they find themselves in the Conference.’

Pleat’s Luton produced England stars Ricky Hill and Brian Stein and the club still unearth talent. The difference these days is they do not always keep it until they reach the first team.

Chelsea signed Rio, Cole and Jay Dasilva last year in a deal that could be worth £1m to the Hatters if the teenage brothers make the first team.

Top tallent: Curtis Davies is one of a number of players to have been developed by the Luton youth system

Liverpool signed 14-year-old David Moli, who has since joined Wolves. Jack Wilshere started at Luton, as did Matthew Upson, John Hartson, Matthew Taylor, Emmerson Boyce and Curtis Davies.

‘They will get out of the Conference,’ said Pleat. ‘Maybe this year, although I worry about the fixture pile-up.’

How typical that would be of Luton, giant-killing their way out of promotion.